New Year

As we look back over the year just gone, it has been a good year to the extent that we have put good thoughts, good words, and good deeds into it.
None of what we have thought, said, or done need be wasted.
Both the good and the bad experiences can be profited by.
In a sense, the past is not entirely gone.
The result of it, for good or evil, is with us at the present moment.
We can only learn by experience and none of our experience is completely wasted.
We can humbly thank God for the good things of the year that has gone.

I pray that I may carry good things into the year ahead.

I pray that I may carry on with faith, with prayer, and with hope.

-- Twenty-Four Hours A Day

From The Mail Bouy

Obituary Of Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.

No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't legally defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot.

She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a multi-million dollar settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Words For The Day

Be content to progress in slow steps until you have legs to run and wings with which to fly. -- Padre Pio, Quiet Moments with Padre Pio (Patricia Treece ed.)


If you want to receive divine light, pray.
If you have begun to make progress and want this light to be intensified within you, pray.
And if you have reached the summit of perfection and want to be super-illumined so as to remain in that state, pray. -- Angela of Foligno, Complete Works (Paulist Press)


Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others. -- Marcus Tullius Cicero

Within your heart, keep one still, secret spot where dreams may go. -- Louise Driscoll


All emotions are pure which gather you and lift you up; that emotion is impure which seizes only one side of your being and so distorts you. -- Rainer Maria Rilke


Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy. -- Jacques Maritain

The Task of Reconciliation

From Bread for the Journey, by Henri Nouwen

What is our task in this world as children of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus?
Our task is reconciliation.
Wherever we go we see divisions among people - in families, communities, cities, countries, and continents.
All these divisions are tragic reflections of our separation from God.
The truth that all people belong together as members of one family under God is seldom visible.
Our sacred task is to reveal that truth in the reality of everyday life.

Why is that our task?
Because God sent Christ to reconcile us with God and to give us the task of reconciling people with one another.
As people reconcile with God through Christ we have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).
So whatever we do the main question is, Does it lead to reconciliation among people?

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To the degree that we accept that through Christ we ourselves have been reconciled with God we can be messengers of reconciliation for others.
Essential to the work of reconciliation is a nonjudgmental presence.
We are not sent to the world to judge, to condemn, to evaluate, to classify, or to label. When we walk around as if we have to make up our mind about people and tell them what is wrong with them and how they should change, we will only create more division.
Jesus says it clearly: "Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge; ... do not condemn; ... forgive" (Luke 6:36-37).

In a world that constantly asks us to make up our minds about other people, a nonjudgmental presence seems nearly impossible.
But it is one of the most beautiful fruits of a deep spiritual life and will be easily recognized by those who long for reconciliation.

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When we are free from the need to judge or condemn, we can become safe places for people to meet in vulnerability and take down the walls that separate them.
Being deeply rooted in the love of God, we cannot help but invite people to love one another.
When people realise that we have no hidden agendas or unspoken intentions, that we are not trying to gain any profit for ourselves, and that our only desire is for peace and reconciliation, they may find the inner freedom and courage to leave their guns at the door and enter into conversation with their enemies.

Many this happens even without our planning.
Our ministry of reconciliation most often takes place when we ourselves are least aware of it.
Our simple, nonjudgmental presence does it.

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Reconciliation is much more than a one-time event by which a conflict is resolved and peace established.
A ministry of reconciliation goes far beyond problem solving, mediation, and peace agreements.
There is not a moment in our lives without the need for reconciliation.
When we dare to look at the myriad hostile feelings and thoughts in our hearts and minds, we will immediately recognize the many little and big wars in which we take part.
Our enemy can be a parent, a child, a "friendly" neighbor, people with different lifestyles, people who do not think as we think, speak as we speak, or act as we act.
They all can become "them."
Right there is where reconciliation is needed.

Reconciliation touches the most hidden parts of our souls.
God gave reconciliation to us as a ministry that never ends.

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One of the hardest things in life is to let go of old hurts.

We often say, or at least think: "What you did to me and my family, my ancestors, or my friends I cannot forget or forgive. ... One day you will have to pay for it."

Sometimes our memories are decades, even centuries, old and keep asking for revenge.

Holding people's faults against them often creates an impenetrable wall.

But listen to Paul: "For anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old order is gone and a new being is there to see. It is all God's work" (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).

Indeed, we cannot let go of old hurts, but God can.

Paul says: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not holding anyone's fault against them" (2 Corinthians 5:19).

It is God's work, but we are God's ministers, because the God who reconciled the world to God entrusted to us "the message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:19).

This message calls us to let go of old hurts in the Name of God.

It is the message our world most needs to hear.

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Work & Prayer

Work and prayer are the two forces which are gradually making a better world.
We must work for the betterment of ourselves and other people.
Faith without works is dead.
But all work with people should be based on prayer.
If we say a little prayer before we speak or try to help, it will make us more effective.
Prayer is the force behind the work.
Prayer is based on faith that God is working with us and through us.
We can believe that nothing is impossible in human relationships, if we depend on the help of God.

-- Twenty-Four Hours A Day

Missionary Of Charity Prayer

The following prayer is the prayer every Missionary of Charity says before leaving his or her Apostolate. It is also used as the Physician’s Prayer in Shish Bhaven, the children’s home in Calcutta:

Dear Lord, the Great Healer, I knee before You,
Since every perfect gift must come from You.
I pray, give skill to my hands, clear vision to my mind,
kindness and meekness to my heart.
Give me singleness of purpose, strength to lift up a part
of the burden of my suffering fellow men, and a
true realization of the privilege that is mine.
Take from my heart all guile and worldliness,
That with the simple faith of a child, I may rely on You.

from Mother Teresa – A Simple Path

Good Morning

Good Morning, This is God!

I will be handling all your problems today.

I will not need your help.

So have an awesome day.

Lord, take me where you want me to go;

Let me meet whom you want me to meet;

Tell me what you want me to say

And keep me out of your way.

St. Thomas Becket

No one becomes a saint without struggle, especially with himself.
St. Thomas Becket knew he must stand firm in defense of truth and right, even at the cost of his life.
We also must take a stand in the face of pressures — against dishonesty, deceit, destruction of life — at the cost of popularity, convenience, promotion and even greater goods.

In T.S. Eliot's drama, Murder in the Cathedral, Becket faces a final temptation to seek martyrdom for earthly glory and revenge.
With real insight into his life situation, Thomas responds:

"The last temptation is the greatest treason:

To do the right deed for the wrong reason."

From Saint of the Day

Opening The Door

The first step on the journey to our calling in life is to listen to our internal voices and respond to the knocking universe at the door.
As we do, the symptoms and anxieties that have haunted us will fade into the background, replaced by opportunities, both big and small, to open the door to what we are truly here to do.

May Your Christmas Be Merry And Bright

In a world where many believe God to be absent,

we place our trust in Jesus Christ,

God's law of love made flesh in our midst,

whose coming we prepare to celebrate with joy.

Come , Lord Jesus!

You came to make visible God's creative love for all people:
-- kindle in your people the fire of your love amid the dulling cold of winter.

You came to make visible God's fidelity to his promise of salvation:
--make vibrant your people's fidelity in a time of broken promises and hollow words.

You cam to make visible God's presence in every time and place:
--renew our faith in your abiding presence.

May the blessings of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, descend upon us and remain with us for ever!

-- Magnificat

A Franciscan Christmas Blessing for Justice and Peace

From a secular Franciscan and a friend:

May God bless you with discomfort…at easy answers, hard hearts,half-truths ,and superficial relationships.

May God bless you so that you may live from deep within your heart where God's Spirit dwells.

May God bless you with anger…at injustice, oppression,and exploitation of people.

May God bless you so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears…to shed for those who suffer from pain,rejection, starvation and war.

May God bless you so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, in your neighborhood,so that you will courageously try what you don't think you can do, but, in Jesus Christ you'll have all the strength necessary.

May God bless you to fearlessly speak out about injustice,unjust laws, corrupt politicians,unjust and cruel treatment of prisoners, and senseless wars, genocides, starvations, and poverty that is so pervasive.

May God bless you that you remember we are all called to continue God's redemptive work of love and healing in God's place, in and through God's name, in God's Spirit, continually creating and breathing new life and grace into everything and everyone we touch.

"Troubadour: A Missionary Magazine," published by the Franciscan Missionary Society, Liverpool, UK: Spring 2005.

Made Or Unmade

A person is made or unmade by what he thinks.
Instead of greeting the day with my usual, 'Good God, morning!'
I consciously said, 'Good morning, God!' with the expectation that it would be a good day.
And that's what it's been.

Every Loss Of Life

Every loss in life I consider as

the throwing off of an old garment

in order to put on a new one; and

the new garment has always
been better than the old one.

Hazrat Inayat Khan

Gayan

The Mountaintop Experience

At some moments we experience complete unity within us and around us.
This may happen when we stand on a mountaintop and are captivated by the view.
It may happen when we witness the birth of a child or the death of a friend.
It may happen when we have an intimate conversation or a family meal.
It may happen in church during a service or in a quiet room during prayer.
But whenever and however it happens we say to ourselves:
"This is it ... everything fits ... all I ever hoped for is here."

This is the experience that Peter, James, and John had on the top of Mount Tabor when they saw the aspect of Jesus' face change and his clothing become sparkling white.
They wanted that moment to last forever (see Luke 9:28-36).
This is the experience of the fullness of time.
These moments are given to us so that we can remember them when God seems far away and everything appears empty and useless.
These experiences are true moments of grace.

Women In Films

Watch closely and you will probably see your favorite female star . . . . . seems like they're all there.

http://glumbert.com/wii/view.php?name=womenfilm

Shining Through the Clouds -- Grumps

When we’re in a good mood, we shine like the sun.
But if we find ourselves in the presence of a person, or people, in a grumpy mood, it can feel like a dark cloud approaching to dim our radiance and block our positive way of seeing the world.
We can remind ourselves that clouds pass, while the sun and stars continue to shine above.
Then it’s easier to think of these "grumps" affectionately, knowing that they only have the power to affect our mood if we allow it.
With the power of change firmly in our hands, we can choose how to respond to a grumpy person, or a grumbling group of people, with confidence and understanding.

Like a lighthouse, we can continue to shine through the darkness, offering our light to help others find their way back to their own.
We can send them a silent prayer of peace or a sympathetic smile.
We may sense that reaching out to offer a comforting touch or hug can ease their frustrations and cause the clouds to dissipate.
If they need understanding, we can sympathize without reinforcing the negativity they may be experiencing by directing their attention someplace more positive. Helping them find the humor in their situation might be appropriate and is a great way to lift spirits, or a logical approach may help them see all the good in the situation, in their lives and in the world.

We might find that someone we encounter often seems to be in a perpetual state of gloom.
Our tendency in such cases may be to try to avoid them, but instead we can make the choice to offer support that comes from the heart.
We may be inspired to ask if they would like some help or to offer suggestions that have helped us in the past.
We can include thoughts of their health and happiness in our times of prayer and meditation.
When we lend our energy to uplift another in any way, we improve our own lives while making the world a better place for all of us.

DailyOM

Is There a Santa Claus?

I always enjoy rereading this each Christmas to remind me that Christmas is inside me if I just believe.

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We take pleasure in answering at once thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of "The Sun":

Dear Editor—

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

- Virginia O'Hanlon, 115 West Ninety-fifth street.


Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Editorial by Francis Pharcellus Church

Basement Poem

Trees are trimmed, wreaths are hung, which means it's time for the annual White House "basement poem," written and recited with limited fanfare each yuletide season by one of the correspondents confined to the basement press room of the White House.

This year, Greg Clugston of the Salem Radio Network did the honors (and yes, we can confirm that White House spokeswoman Dana Perino ducked downstairs for the reading). Here's a shortened version:

'Twas the night before Christmas and in the White House,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Stockings were hung in the West Wing with care,

In hopes a war supplemental soon would be there.

The president was asleep, all snug in his bed,

While visions of vetoes danced in his head.

Clashes with Democrats he won again and again,

Squashing their bills with a stroke of his pen.

S-CHIP and stem cells were both turned away,

And Bush rejected timetables for troops in harm's way.

The president "surged" more troops into Iraq,

Helping lower violence and suicide attacks.

He lobbied for FISA to connect terrorist dots,

Tying Speaker Pelosi and Reid up in knots.

Bush's low approval numbers remained a bitter pill,

Except when comparing them to leaders on the Hill.

All of a sudden there arose such a clatter,

Dubya jumped up to see what was the matter.

And what to wondering eyes did appear?

A man wearing nothing — but holiday cheer.

There stood Musharraf, risking laughter and scorn,

Making good on a pledge to take off his uniform.

Next, Santa arrived on his toy-laden sleigh,

With a top-secret document from the C I of A.

Bush read the intel: no nukes in Iran,

So much for launching a military plan.

And I heard him exclaim after reading the NIE:

"Merry Christmas to all, forget World War Three!"

Washington Times
"Inside The Beltway"
December 17, 2007

God Needs People

As God needed Abraham, Isaac, David, and the rest, so God needs me, if only to witness his love and mercy, as I have received it -- in rich abundance.
So it makes eminent good sense for me to freely make a generous gift of myself to God for him to use me as he wills.
What nobler path could I tread through life.
And so, with Saint Ignatius' inspired words, I give myself over to God for him to use me as he wills,

Take Lord and receive all my liberty,

My memory, my understanding and my entire will.

All I have and call my own.

Whatever I have or hold, you have given me.

I return it all to you and surrender it wholly

To be governed by your will.

Give me only your love and grace

And I am rich enough and ask for nothing more.

--Monsignor James Turro

Loving Father, you always work through your people.

Deepen my belonging, and let all
my relationships testify to your love.

A Stormy World

One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul.
Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it.

-- Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Ego

Someone once defined the ego as "the sum total of false ideas about myself."
Persistent reworking of the Twelve Steps enables me to gradually strip away my false ideas about myself.
This permits nearly imperceptible but steady growth in my understanding of the truth about myself.
And this, in turn, leads to a growing understanding of God and other human beings.
Do I strive for self-honesty, promptly admitting when I'm wrong?

We All Need A Tree

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit, and his ancient one ton truck refused to start.
While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.
On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family.
As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.
When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation.
His face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
Afterward he walked me to the car.
We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me.
I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
'Oh,that's my trouble tree,' he replied.
'I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children.
So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them.
Then in the morning I pick them up again.
Funny thing is,' he smiled, 'when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.'

Distressing Disguise

A dear friend once confided to me that she believed that, if Christ were to show up at her door, she would probably not let him in.
Would she be ready, she wondered, to have him enter her life, to wreck her prefect planning, to rearrange her priorities?
Jesus tell us "that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did whatever they pleased. So will the Son of Man suffer at their hands."
This challenge to "recognize" Jesus is clearly much more than seeing him or even acknowledging where he came from.
Rather, we need to see him, as Mother Teresa so often said, "in distressing disguise" -- in the face of a spouse, a parent, a child.
Jesus Christ is present here and now as the person who annoys me and disturbs me, who disrupts my plans and disappoints my expectations.
To be kind to him I cannot simply stand on niceties.
I have to change.
Ihave to say things that don't seem to come naturally, kind things.
I have to give something I don't seem to have to give.
I have to open the door to my heart.
During Advent each of us ought to ask for this grace:

to see that it is Christ knocking at
the door of our hearts and to let him in!

-- Lisa Lickona

Loving Father, give me the freedom to change so as to
be completely open to the presence of your Son in my life

What Have You Seen?

. . . Imagine trying to describe color to a blind person, or music to a deaf person.
Imagine trying to explain motherly or fatherly love to an orphan.
These are not ideas, but realities that come to us through experience.
We aare not just spiritual, but also physical; and so our experiences begin with what we hear and see and sense.
. . . What have you seen?
Who is a sign for you that Christ has come and remains with us?
. . . Someone who sacrifices joyfully?
A happily married couple?
A teacher?
A friend?
A colleague?
A family member?
Lord Jesus, help me to recognize the things I hear and see which speak of your Presence.

-- Father Richard Veras

Loving Father, let me be attentive to every experience

of my life so that I will always discover

the closeness of your Son.

What God Asks

Mother Teresa in a talk on prayer said that God speaks in the silence and poverty of the heart.
"If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you.
Then you will know that you are nothing.
It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with himself."
. . . He asks our love and our willingness to be poor in spirit.
Then he will show us what we perhaps never expected to find in a state of need -- his immense love for us.

-- Father Donald Haggerty

Loving Father, make me poor in spirit

so that I can hear the voice of your Son

speaking in every circumstance of my life.

God's Opinion

. . . A certain realism reveals that each of us in the lost one.
The assurance that the Father wants us and sends Christ to recover us is most tender and heartening.
We may have an opinion, but we need another to rescue us, even if we have not dared hope for such a chance.

-- Sharon Mollerus

Loving Father, help me to realize that your Son Jesus

is seeking for me when I am feeling troubled and lost.

God In The Details

. . . You might have heard the expression, "God is in the details."
. . . Thus, there is no moment, no relationship, no detail of life which does not call me to recognize this Presence.
There is no moment or actin that doesn't matter.
When I forget this, I sin.
May even my sins become occassions for his grace, as I cry out in true repentance and ask him, once again, to transform and sanctify everthing with his merciful Presence.

-- Father Richard Veras

Loving Father, let me always remember that your Son reveals
his Presence in every single detail of my life.

May I always cling to this Presence.

Only One Boy

Recently, a class of sixth-graders was asked whether they could ever be truly happy.
Astoundingly, almost every child concluded that while they desired true and lasting happiness, it is impossible ever to attain it.
One child concluded that we should just stop desiring happiness.
One boy alone had hope.
His response to the questins was a resounding ,"Yes!"
He was also the only child who made reference to Christ.
He alone among his peers expressed confidence that he could be truly happy.
He wrote, "If my desire is infinite, the one necessary thing is God."
With the simplicity of a child he said, "No earthly thing can truly make us eternally happy, except for the Eucharist, which is still God."
That same week, Pope Benedict XVI said, "Only in reference to God's love which is revealed in Jesus Christ can man find the meaning of his existence and live in hope."
"As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, 'Son of David, have pity on us!'"
The presence of Christ awakenedin those two men a hope of happiness.
Into their darkness, Christ's presence provoked a cry of hope.
Their eyes were opened.
Theirs was not the sob of nihilism, but the cry of hope.
Only one boy in the class said, "Christ."
He alone had hope.

-- Father David Barnes

Loving Father, let me never doubt the happiness that you
make real in my life through the gift of your Son.

Intercessions

Let your face shine on mu s and we shall be saved.

For those who walk ways that are crooked and dark
-- make straight their path to you.

For those who prefer to hide their deeds in darkness
-- bring them into the light of life.

For those who fear the light of truth
-- comfort and thee them.

For the hopeless, the frightened, the needy, and the oppressed
-- grant them strength through faith.

For the deaf and the blind, the injured and ill
-- heal all their ills.

For the dying who await your coming in fear
-- change their dread to joy.

Amen.

Grow Still And Silent

In his exploration of the movement through the dark night of the soul to union with God, St. John of the Cross used the imagery of a house grown still and silent to describe the soul so centered in God by prayer that it is free to leave self behind and become absorded in the presence of the promised Prince of Peace.
From this inward stillness flows the outward peace for which the world longs.

Marooned

I have an incredible capacity to maroon myself in life's rocky gorges and perilous mountain ledges.
In this season of joy and peace, I hear again with piercing clarity God's promise to deliver me from the dangerous places I myself chose, leveling every obstacle to my safe journey home

When I am lost in the thorns and thickets of my own foolishness -- comfort me, Lord.

When I am trapped in the ways that lead me far from you -- comfort me, Lord.

When I am beset and besieged by the voices not your own -- comfort me, Lord.

When I am caught in dark places -- comfort me, Lord.

Deck Of Cards

It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars, and land mines for some reason hadn't been heard.
The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week.
As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his bunk.
Just then an army sergeant came in and said, 'Why aren't you with the rest of the platoon?'
The soldier replied, 'I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with the Lord.'
The sergeant said, 'Looks to me like you're going to play cards.'
The soldier said, 'No, sir. You see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country, I've decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards.'
The sergeant asked in disbelief, 'How will you do that?'
'You see the Ace, Sergeant? It reminds me that there is only one God.

The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments.

The Three represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The Four stands for the Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The Five is for the five virgins there were ten but only five of them were glorified.

The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.

The Seven is for the day God rested after making His Creation.

The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives -- the eight people God spared from the flood that destroyed the Earth.

The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy. He cleansed ten, but nine never thanked Him.

The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone.

The Jack is a reminder of Satan, one of God's first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell.

The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.

The King stands for Je sus, for he is the King of all kings.

When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total, one for every day of the year.

There are a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week - 52 weeks in a year.

The four suits represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

Each suit has thirteen cards -- there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.

So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for.'

The sergeant just stood there.
After a minute, with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart, he said, 'Soldier, can I borrow that deck of cards?'

The Freedom to Refuse Love

Often hell is portrayed as a place of punishment and heaven as a place of reward.
But this concept easily leads us to think about God as either a policeman, who tries to catch us when we make a mistake and send us to prison when our mistakes become too big, or a Santa Claus, who counts up all our good deeds and puts a reward in our stocking at the end of the year.
God, however, is neither a policeman nor a Santa Claus.
God does not send us to heaven or hell depending on how often we obey or disobey.
God is love and only love.
In God there is no hatred, desire for revenge, or pleasure in seeing us punished.
God wants to forgive, heal, restore, show us endless mercy, and see us come home.
But just as the father of the prodigal son let his son make his own decision God gives us the freedom to move away from God's love even at the risk of destroying ourselves.

Hell is not God's choice.

It is ours.

-- Henri Nouwen

You Did Not Mourn

If you only knew what goes on within my heart—Sometimes the pain is so great that I feel as if everything will break. The smile is a big cloak which covers a multitude of pains.
— Mother Teresa

The saints knew suffering beyond what most of us can imagine, yet bore it with grace.
Are you preparing for Christmas with joyful anticipation, or are you letting the strain of a hundred tasks sour your mood?

Give everyone you meet today the gift of a smile.

from Day by Day Through Advent With Mother Teresa

Being Cheated

If you go around thinking

you are being cheated,

life becomes very unpleasant.

--Felix Salten

Happiness

Happiness cannot be traveled to,
owned, earned, worn or consumed.

Happiness is the spiritual experience of
living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.
-- Dennis Waitley

Heaven And Hell

Is everybody finally going to be all right?
Are all people ultimately going to be free from misery and all their needs fulfilled?
Yes and no!
Yes, because God wants to bring us home into God's Kingdom.
No, because nothing happens without our choosing it.
The realisation of the Kingdom of God is God's work, but for God to make God's love fully visible in us, we must respond to God's love with our love.
There are two kinds of death: a death leading us into God's Kingdom, and a death leading us into hell.
John in his vision saw not only heaven, but also hell.
He says: "The legacy for cowards, for those who break their word, or worship obscenities, for murderers and the sexually immoral, and for sorcerers, worshippers of false gods or any other sort of liars, is the second death in the burning lake of sulphur" (Revelation 21:8).
We must choose for God if we want to be with God.

-- Henri Nowean

Complaining Even In Paradise

A thankful person is thankful
under all circumstances.

A complaining soul complains
even in paradise.
--Baha'u'llah

Anticipating the Vision

The marvelous vision of the peaceable Kingdom, in which all violence has been overcome and all men, women, and children live in loving unity with nature, calls for its realisation in our day-to-day lives.
Instead of being an escapist dream, it challenges us to anticipate what it promises.

Every time we forgive our neighbor,
every time we make a child smile,
every time we show compassion to a suffering person,
every time we arrange a bouquet of flowers,
offer care to tame or wild animals,
prevent pollution,
create beauty in our homes and gardens,
and work for peace and justice among peoples and nations
we are making the vision come true.

We must remind one another constantly of the vision.
Whenever it comes alive in us we will find new energy to live it out, right where we are.
Instead of making us escape real life,
this beautiful vision gets us involved.

-- Henri Nouwen

ODAAT

One day at a time,

This is enough.

Do not look back and grieve over the past.

For it is gone. . .

And do not be troubled about the future.

For it has not yet come.

Live in the present,

and make it so beautiful.

That it will be worth remembering.

Choosing The Path

It is 5:15 a.m. and the snow is falling.
I am outside shoveling.
I am not shoveling the driveway or sidewalk; luckily someone else will do that job.
I am shoveling a path for my dog.
She still sound asleep, cozy and comfortable inside.
She is too small to find her way in several inches of snow, so I create a way for her.
In a little while, she rises, stretches, and goes out.
She looks at other possibilities, but chooses the path I have created.
She chooses not simply out of need, but because it is clear and ready for her.
The hungry crowd at the Sea of Galilee was like a blizzard to t he disciples.
Uncertain of how to face this enormous need, they turn to Jesus.
He shows them the way.
The hungers of the human family are satisfied when disciples, in the name of Jesus, share what they have been given.
Jesus calls each of us to realize there is more than enough food, justice, peace, and love in the world.
It is the unfair distribution of those things that still keep many hungry.
In a season of giving and receiving, Jesus calls us to get up from what keeps us comfortable and look out.
A path is clear and ready for us.
The challenge is taking the first step.

-- Monsignor Gregory E.S. Malovetz

Loving Father, save me from my ow willfulness and
make me generous in following Jesus the Way.

Life Shatters You

Life does not accommodate you;
it shatters you.
Every seed destroys its container,
or else there would be no fruition.
Florida Scott-Maxwell

Fear Is Only An Illusion

Fear is only an illusion.

It is the illusion that creates
the feeling of separateness -

the false sense of isolation
that exists only in your imagination.

--Jeraldine Sounders

I am only alone in my mind.
Freedom from fear is a decision I can choose to make at any time.
I can simply give it up and replace it with my understanding of equality with all persons.
Taking responsibility for my fear, or my freedom from it, is the first step to a perspective promising healthier emotional development.
If I am fearful today, it's because I have forgotten the reality of my existence.
I am equal to all the people in my world, and we are necessary to one another.

The Last, The Lost, The Least

What if all be failure—I have no fear—if only one family—if only one little unhappy child is made happy with the love of Jesus, tell me will it not be worth all of us giving all for that? —Mother Teresa

Just as in the parable of the Good Shepherd, God seeks always the last, the lost, the least.
Who in your life needs finding and bringing back to the fold?

from Day by Day Through Advent With Mother Teresa

Take A Risk

God is always calling us beyond ourselves, asking us to take a risk.
Trust is accepting the loving embrace of God and realizing we are always standing on large shoulders.

from Joan of Arc: God’s Warrior

From The Mail Bouy

Did You Know 2.0:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U

Uncool Labels:
http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/12/uncool-labels.html

Let The Holidays Begin
Christmas Card

Mental Feng Shui

ONE.
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO.
Marry a man/woman you love to talk to.
As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE.
Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR.
When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.

FIVE.
When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.

SIX.
Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN.
Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT.
Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE.
Love deeply and passionately.
You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN.
In disagreements, fight fairly.
No name calling.

ELEVEN.
Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE.
Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN.
When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'

FOURTEEN.
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN.
Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN.
When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN.
Remember the three R's:
Respect for self;
Respect for others; and
Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN.
Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN.
When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY.
Smile when picking up the phone.
The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY- ONE.
Spend some time alone.

The Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer is the handrail to grab
until you can work the Steps.

Insanity

Doing exactly the same thing over and over,
expecting different results

Hope

Hope is the deep orientation of the human soul
that can be held at the darkest times.
-- Vaclav Havel

Being Sisters and Brothers of Nature

When we think of oceans and mountains, forests and deserts, trees, plants and animals, the sun, the moon, the stars, and all the galaxies, as God's creation, waiting eagerly to be "brought into the same glorious freedom as the children of God" (Roman 8:21), we can only stand in awe of God's majesty and God's all- embracing plan of salvation.
It is not just we, human beings, who wait for salvation in the midst of our suffering; all of creation groans and moans with us longing to reach its full freedom.
In this way we are indeed brothers and sisters not only of all other men and women in the world but also of all that surrounds us.
Yes, we have to love the fields full of wheat, the snowcapped mountains, the roaring seas, the wild and tame animals, the huge redwoods, and the little daisies.
Everything in creation belongs, with us, to the large family of God.

--Henri Nouwen

The Taste Of Life

Follow the ways of right and not of wrong.
The tree that bears the fruits of goodness will flourish in the promised reign of God.
The tree that bears no taste of life will perish.

What We Pray For, We Must Also Work For

The messianic promises are never vague.
They always hold out the hope that the One who comes will fulfill the real dreams of the human heart for peace, healing, and plenty.
What we pray for, we must also work for.
Thus do we prepare his way.

Beacon Of Hope And Peace

Christmastime is, without doubt, the busiest time of the year.

We’re all so involved with preparing for the celebrations that we often forget the reason for the celebration itself.

Our lives between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day are sometimes just a blur.

Shopping for gifts and groceries.

Planning and preparing parties and dinners.

Attending parties and dinners.

Finding a Tree.

Decorating the house.

Amid all this confusion, let’s take a brief moment to focus on the central theme of this holiday.

We find it expressed in the Bible, in the Gospel according to Luke:

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were afraid. But the angel said to them: ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’

“’Today in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

“’This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’”

Keep those thoughts in mind as you go about the Christmas bustle, and remember that the birth of the baby in Bethlehem continues to be a beacon of hope for peace on Earth, good will to all.

I wish you a joyous Christmas and good will to all.

Success: Working Hard At Doing . . . And Becoming

A commencement address by Brian McCoy, Chief Executive Officer, McCoy Corp., to Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, May 12, 2007

Thank you, President Trauth, administration, faculty, students, family, friends and especially you graduates.

What A special day this is for you! My sister, my brothers and I were first-generation college graduates, and we received the encouragement and support of our parents and family, just as so many of you have received support getting to this place this morning. Congratulations!

I grew up in our family business, McCoy’s Building Supply, and that meant I worked part time during junior and senior high school and college loading lumber, making deliveries and serving customers while learning the business from the ground up. I skipped my last year of high school, graduated from college in three years, and so, at 20 years old, I became the manager of our Austin store. This store was running No. 2 in sales of our 11 locations, and so I knew it would be a challenging job.

I showed up the first day also knowing I wouldn’t be at the store very long, because I was destined for other jobs in order to get different work experiences. I only had a short time to show my team I would work hard for success of the business. Our store had a small office in the corner of the building, and the office “desk” was a wood door taken from our inventory, placed horizontally on two metal file cabinets at counter height, and the only chair in the office was an old bar stool.

I marched into the office with my assistant manager in tow, and I told Dan “See that chair!” I grabbed it, walked out the back door and over to the dumpster and I threw it away! I told him we wouldn’t be sitting down while I was there. We had things to do.

Later that afternoon I said to Dan: “I’ve got some good news and bad news. The good new is I’m going to buy you breakfast every day while I’m here. The bad news is breakfast is at 5:30 a.m.!”

It was several years later at a company gathering of our assistant store managers, one young man came up to me and asked this question “Tell me, Brian, what do I need to do to be successful?” And with all the wisdom I could muster from my short few years in the business, I gave him a most simple and woefully incomplete answer – “Well, you’ve got to work really hard!”

You very likely have asked yourself the same question. What do you need to do to become successful? And while you may find a lot of sources for you answer . . . books, speeches and advice givers who weigh in on what you should be doing, I think it is the wrong questions to ask.

Hear me clearly, a strong work ethic is incredibly important. I love to work hard. It’s something I’ve learned from my dad, and I credit his example as one of the reasons our business and our leaders have grown. And, considering all of that, I still think it is the wrong question to ask.

If that young man asked me the same question today, I’d challenge him , as I challenge you, to ask not what do you need to be successful, but rather, who do you need to become to be successful?

That’s the questions. Who do we need to become to be successful?

You need to become a person of integrity. It’s a word that’s tossed around all the time, but I still want to talk about it. There is such a lack of integrity in our workplaces, that unless you commit to having it, you will certainly be pulled from demonstrating it.

Integrity is telling the truth. Sounds easy, but it isn’t. Sure, it’s reporting financial statements accurately and citing references in papers honestly, but don’t miss that it is much more than the obvious. It is telling the truth even when it’s embarrassing, awkward, inconvenient, or even when it may impact your job promotion.

Integrity despise gossip. It gives credit to others when that credit is due. Interestingly, integrity is on display when we ask for help in the workplace.
Integrity battles the inappropriate kind of pride inside each of us. Integrity is not something you do. It is a part of who you are, or who you are becoming.
It is important to talk about integrity, and it is foundational to answering our question, but there’s something else I’ve been excited about sharing with you ever since I was invited to speak with you today.

We know getting things done is important, and doing them with integrity is a must, but the people who I see becoming truly successful have gone a step further. They are consistently giving to others, and they take the initiative in their giving and serving.

What are they giving? I’m glad we can talk about that. They are giving care, encouragement, support and respect to the people they encounter.
“Giving First” involves putting people first. That’s radical in business. The business world is cutthroat, underhanded, selfish . . . right? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, a “Giving First” mentality is radical in life, because if you believe it, it means people come before jobs, titles, projects, objectives, and if you’re in business like me, even before profits.

At our company, it is displaying care for Mike Keegan, a McCoy veteran who lost his father earlier this year. Mike has many friends at McCoy’s and it always blesses me to know our folk don’t have to face life’s hardest days alone. I know I’ll be connecting with Mike next month on Father’s Day knowing he’ll be missing and remembering his dad.

Did you happen to catch ABC’s “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” a few weeks ago? I wish you could’ve been there in Lawton, Okla., when we yelled “Move that bus!” as the Gene Westbrook family moved into their new home. Our McCoy’s Lawton crew worked around the clock to be a part of that community’s outpouring of support. With our donation of the lumber for their home we got paid back with the excitement and personal fulfillment of helping a family in great need.

Our world needs more celebration, and I’m found of saying I’m the CEO of McCoy’s . . . I want to be the chief encouragement officer; now I know that sounds cheesy, but I truly believe sincere encouragement can have an incredible impact on those around us. Recently I timed my visit to be sure I could give Wayne Ehrig his 35-year honors in person at our Belton, Texas, location. We have over 2,200 employees at McCoy’s, and yet it is always fun to be able to focus on specific individuals. And you know, I personally keep up with the birthdays and company anniversaries of over 300 McCoy people every year, and I love making that a priority of my day.

Sheryl Bailey took over our unprofitable Stephenville location two years ago. You might imagine the fun I had calling her last month as we celebrated yet another month of solid sales and profit, all due to her leadership of that store team and her focus on customer service.

For many years now I have marked my calendar to remember the date when a key member of my staff was involved in a very tragic childhood accident, knowing where his thoughts will be every July 11. That means personally calling or meeting with him on that day to make sure he isn’t feeling alone, and I get the opportunity to share with him what a huge impact he has made at McCoy’s. Others in our company will do the same.

I’m excited t share with you the thought of giving and serving others, because for too many years right after my graduation I was so focused on just doing I was missing out on being engaged in the relationships in my life, both personally and professionally.

In today’s world we have access to tremendous technology. I couldn’t connect with the many people in my life without voicemail and email, that’s for sure. But please hear me, guard yourself against the danger of hiding behind the technology. Some communication should be live on the phone, when two-way conversation is a must, and sometimes, it is critical that we be in person, face to face, for the very best in serving one another.

Be a person of integrity, strive to give mightily to others, but I’ll be honest with you, it is difficult to do either without courage. And courage today is displayed through our communication. Am I willing to share my disappointment with someone, and will I vulnerably share my needs with another rather than resent what they’re doing – or not doing – for me?

For instance, if someone repeatedly fails to follow up on a commitment or constantly turns in work late, am I committed to appropriately confront them, rather than talk behind their back? Will I conduct my life to invite others to share vulnerability with me when I need valuable feedback? I hope so. Be courageous.

You need to know your “to-do” list will never get completely done, so for you perfectionists out there . . . get over it! Work toward “weaving” your giving opportunities into daily life, not when everything on your list is done, which, I’ve found, is impossible.

Your life won’t be all success. In my lifetime I’ve failed often. Early in our marriage my emphasis on getting things done left not nearly enough time for my family. I am grateful for my wife, Wetonnah; my brother, Mike, my sister Brenda; and my good friend David Ferguson for sharing with me the need for more balance in my life.

I have failed in business too. Early in my career, as I emphasized “working hard” for myself, I failed to properly develop others around me as I should. Some years back we were closing locations rather than expanding, and it was during that time my brother and I realized our company need to change . . . in both our business plan and leadership development. Our internal management and leadership training is called “Business as UnUsual,” and what makes it unusual is at the core of this training is a “Giving First” mentality.

Getting things done is important , but that cannot be what it’s all about. Today, graduates, it is all about you, as it should be. You’ve worked hard; you’re earned it. And when today’s celebration is over, and with the rest of your life beginning, please remember, while we’ve go things to do, let’s also strive to become.

Thank you, and Godspeed.

Prayer of St. Irenaeus

It is not thou that shapest God

it is God that shapest thee.

If thou art the work of God

await the hand of the artist

who does all things in due season.

Offer Him thy heart,

soft and tractable,

and keep the form

in which the artist has fashioned thee.

Let thy clay be moist,

lest thou grow hard

and lose the imprint of his fingers.
- St. Irenaeus

An Act Of Love

Prayer is an act of love,

words are not needed.

Even if sickness distracts thoughts,

all that is needed is the will to love.
St. Teresa of Avila

The Way of Perfection

The Daily Storms Of Life

The storms that threaten are not those that blow from mountain or sea but those that blow from human doubts, human fears, human violence, whether from within or from without.

I put my trust daily in the present help found in his word as I read, study, and pray it.

Restored to Eternal Life

One thing we know for sure about our God:
Our God is a God of the living, not of the dead.
God is life.
God is love.
God is beauty.
God is goodness.
God is truth.
God doesn't want us to die.
God wants us to live.
Our God, who loves us from eternity to eternity, wants to give us life for eternity.

When that life was interrupted by our unwillingness to give our full yes to God's love, God sent Jesus to be with us and to say that great yes in our name and thus restore us to eternal life.
So let's not be afraid of death.
There is no cruel boss, vengeful enemy, or cruel tyrant waiting to destroy us - only a loving, always forgiving God, eager to welcome us home.

-- Henri Nouwen